Melbourne: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has mocked Indian cricketers by describing their aggression in the first two one-dayers as “fake” and saying the hosts cowered after Match Referee’s warning for on-field exchanges in Kochi.

Ponting and his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni were asked to ascertain peaceful proceedings in the series after plenty of “aggression” was on display in the second ODI in Kochi which kept the match officials on toes.

“As soon as any words were said at all on the field, Dhoni went and complained to the umpires, so they have gone from one extreme to the other in a matter of two days,” Ponting said referring to the third ODI.

“It shows just how fake the first part of the series was as far as they were concerned,” he told and Australian daily.

Ponting claimed that Match Referee Chris Broad praised him during a flight to Chandigarh on Saturday for the improved behaviour of his players in the third game.

“He congratulated me for the way the team approached the game,” Ponting said.

“There has been a lot made of the series so far, but when the tough moments have come on the field we have stood up and got the job done,” he said.